By Ben Kerrigan -
Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council appears to be blackmailing the Uk in relation to the request for an extension of Article 50. Given the intense pressure on the British prime minister to deliver a deal her colleagues are unhappy with, May’s government is in a very vulnerable position.
The British parliament has been pretty shambolic in its decision to agree a deal for leaving the EU, after Theresa May’s proposal for a deal was voted down twice in the House Of Commons. Today, Tusk, the irresponsible EU bully who said there was a special place in hell for those who promoted Brexit without a sketch of how to execute it- was exploiting the disharmony in parliament that has made a laughing stock of British politics in the last few months.
Tusk’s insistence that the EU would only approve a delay to the Brexit process if the House of Commons approves the Withdrawal Agreement signed by Theresa May last year. That suggests a third “meaningful vote” must be held in Parliament next week. The EU president must be privately mocking Britain, his heart appears to be full of contempt for the British people ever since the Uk voted to leave the EU during the 2016 referendum. Tusk said:
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“If the leaders approve my recommendations and there is a positive vote in the House of Commons next week, we can finalise and formalise the decision on extension in the written procedure,” .
”Today I received a letter from Prime Minister May, in which she addresses the European council with two requests: to approve the so-called Strasbourg agreement between the UK and the European commission, and to extend the Article 50 period until 30 June 2019.
Just now I had a phone call with Prime Minister May about these proposals.
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In the light of the consultations that I have conducted over the past days, I believe that a short extension would be possible.
But it would be conditional on a positive vote on the withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons.
The question remains open as to the duration of such an extension.
At this time, I do not foresee an extraordinary European council.
If the leaders approve my recommendations and there is a positive vote in the House of Commons next week, we can finalise and formalise the decision on extension in the written procedure.
However, if there is such a need, I will not hesitate to invite the members of the European council for a meeting to Brussels next week.
Although Brexit fatigue is increasingly visible and justified, we cannot give up seeking until the very last moment a positive solution – of course, without opening up the withdrawal agreement.
We have reacted with patience and goodwill to numerous turns of events and I am confident that also now we will not lack the same patience and goodwill at this most critical point in this process”.
GOODWILL?
Whether the EU has truly acted with goodwill depends on the reality of the deal offered to the Uk in the entire sense of its fairness and practicalities. A proposed deal that is truly unworkable for the British people is not one that resonates goodwill. It should rather be viewed as an offer of confusion, presenting along with it the shame of parliamentarians in failing to identify this smokescreen and propose a much more sensible alternative.
EU chiefs are outplaying the Uk in this political chase, and British politicians must pull up their socks and start thinking sharper. The divisions and indecisiveness of parliament is too embarrassing , and has potentially damaging long term outcomes for the rest of the country in the future. Tusk’s recommendations can only be accepted if the terms at least partially solve the puzzle that has eluded British politicians throughout the negotiation period of a pursuit for a Brexit deal.
The EU president is asking for assurances the deal will be accepted, but this is different from allowing parliament the short extension of three months May has requested.
The problem is that there is no guarantee Mps will have a deal after the extension the government is asking for, but this should not mean the granting of the request is based on Tusk recommendations being granted.
Theresa May lost her first meaningful vote by a historic margin of 230 in January, and lost her second last week by 149. May faces an uphill challenge to pass the deal a third time – 75 MPs will have to change their minds. The Prime Minister will hope that the looming and clear threat of no deal will force opposition MPs to support her deal.
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